Net supporting device



June 25, 1940. M, wo

NET SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 4, 1937 NVENTOR. ff

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Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for supporting a net and particularly pertains to a rigid supporting device into which the strands of a flexible net may be fitted. More specifically the invention is directed to a ring member having openings therein for receiving the cords of a net wherein the knots forming the mesh of the net are engaged by the edges of the apertures so that the ring provides a support for the net.

Solid rings have been used for supporting nets in the past and such devices usually consist of metal and shaped to the size of the net to be supported. The net however was usually fastened to the metal ring by means 0; strings or wires. Such an arrangement has be n found quite inconvenient in that considerable time was required to affix the net to the supporting ring and the string or wire holding the net thereto was readily worn by engagement against the side walls of a tank or barrel when using the; rrangement as a dip net. In addition to such disadvantages of the prior devices it was necessary to retie or rewire the net to the ring when one of the top strands of the net broke so that considerable time was also required to repair the arrangement.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in a net supporting device and particularly the manner by which the net is aflixed to the supporting memher.

A more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a rigid ring having openings therein at circumferentially spaced points and into which the strands of a flexible net may be inserted so that knotted portions of the strands will engage the edges of the openings to support the net.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a net supporting device which is so arranged that when the top strands of the net are broken the adjacent row of knotted strands which form the next mesh row of the net may be utilized in connection with the supporting device for affixing the net thereto.

Another object of the invention resides in arranging the openings of the supporting member in such a position that when the tr nds of the net are positioned therein, other portions of the supporting device will act as guarding means to prevent the strands from engaging the walls of the container when the arrangement is employed as a dip net.

Other and further objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon I consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following description wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the supporting device illustrating the manner in which the 6 strands of the net are arranged to engage the support.

Figure 2 is a side view elevation of the support and the net.

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the manner in which the net strands engaging the support are protected when the net is in use.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the shape and arrangement of one form of openings in the supporting device.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a modification of the shape of the slots.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown particularly in Figure 2 a cup-shaped net which may be formed of any flexible material such as textile cord wherein the loops or mesh of the net are provided by knotting the various strands of the cord. Such a net may be formed in any well known manner and the loops formed by the knotted strands at the top of the net usually com- 26 prise two cords extending from one knot to an adjacent confluence of the cords as indicated at I0 in Figure 2. Such pairs of cords are thus arranged around the upper edge of the entire net which are initially employed as hereinafter 30 described for supporting the open woven material on a rigid support.

The supporting device consists of a handle II which is fixed to the ring member l2 in any well known manner such as by means of the bolts I3. At circumferentially spaced intervals around the ring member I! openings H are provided and the spacing thereof should correspond to a distance between the knots of the net which form the mesh thereof.

Referring particularly to Figure 4 it is to be noted that the openings or holes M are substantially of circular shape and the center of each opening is so positioned as to be in alignment with the mid point between the upper edge I6 46 and the lower edge I! of the supporting device. Extending downwardly from the top edge Hi there is provided a series of slots l8 which may be of V-shape form as illustrated in Figure 4 or the slots may be of uniform width as they ex- 50 tend downwardly into communication with the openings H as shown in Figure 5. Any shape of slot may be provided and the width thereof at the narrowest point is preferably such as to permit only one strand of the net to pass therethrough 2 at one time. That is to say the dimension of the lowermost portion of the slot I8 immediately adjacent the opening I4 is such that the diameter of one strand of the net may be moved downwardly into the opening H. The size or diameter or the opening I4 is such that several strands of the net may be received therein. The dimension of the opening l4 however is sufliciently small so that a knot formed of at least two strands of the cord will be prevented from passing through the openings or holes H.

The slots l9 illustrated in Figure 5 are of such width throughout thelength thereof as to permit one strand of the dry cord to be moved therethrough. The dimensions of the slots l9 however are such as. to prevent the passage of a strand therethrough when the net or the cords thereof ,are wet. In a like manner the narrowest portion of the slots l8 shown in Figure 4 are of a dimension similar to the size of the slots 19.

In assembling or arranging the net upon the ring member l2 the top row of knotted strands are positioned over the ring member and each individual cord extending from the knots 2| is inserted one after the other into the slots formed above the openings l4. When the net is initially attached to the ring member a number of such cords will pass through the slots into the openings l4 and in the example illustrated four of suchstrands extend from each knot of the top row. Two of the strands will thus engage the outer periphery of the ring member between the openings 44 and thus provide a support for the ne In the event the top strands extending between the adjacent knots are broken a support will nevertheless be provided for the net by lifting a knot 2| to a position above the ring l2 so that the strands 22 may be passed individually through a slot and into an opening l4. Thus the knot 2| will engage the edges of the opening 14 and support the net. i

The slots 18 and I9 are preferably provided as hereinabove described with such dimension so that at least one portion of the slots is such as to prevent a single cord from moving out of the opening l4 when the strands of the net become wet. Thus the top strands or the strands 22 are prevented from moving out of the openings H when the net is used in dipping small solid objects such as pickles or olives from a liquid bath.

The openings M are arranged with the centers thereof along the mid-point of the ring l2 which may be formed of a-material having a rectangular cross section so that'the portions of the net which engage the outer periphery of the ring are thus prevented from engaging the comers of a vessel 23 in a manner as illustrated in Figure 3.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been described it is apparent that modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art. Such modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A support for a net formed of knotted strands comprising, a ring having holes extending radially therethrough and circumferentially spaced therearound, said ring having slots extending from one edge thereof into communication with said holes, said slots being of such width as to permit one strand of the net to pass therethrough so that the individual strands of the net may be moved into said holes, said holes being of such size as to accommodate more than one strand and said holes being sufiiciently small so as to prevent at least two knotted strands from passing therethrough.

2. A support for a net formed of knotted strands comprising, a ring having Openings extending radially therethrough and circumferentially spaced therearound, said ring having V- shaped slots extending from one edge thereof into communication with said openings, the narrower portion of said slots being arranged adjacent said openings and said narrower portion being of such width as to permit one strand of the net to pass therethrough so that individual strands of the net may be moved into said openings, said openings being of such size as to accommodate more than one strand of the net and said openings being sufilciently small so as to prevent two knotted strands from passing therethrough.

3. A support fOI a net formed of knotted cords comprising, a ring of rectangular cross section, said ring having a plurality of substantially circular holes extending radially from the inner face to the peripheral face thereof, said holes being arranged in a substantially equal circumferentially spaced relation with the center of each corresponding approximately to the face center line of said ring, said ring having slots extending from each of said openings to an edge of said ring, said slots being of such width as to permit a cord of said net to pass therethrough, said holes having a diameter sufliciently large to accommodate several cords but sufficiently small to prevent a plurality of knotted cords from passing lengthwise therethrough.

4. A support for a net formed of knotted flexible strands comprising, a ring having circumferentially spaced openings therein, said ring having a slot associated with each opening extending from the one edge of the ring into communication with the openings permitting individual strands of the net to be moved laterally into the openings, and said openings being of such size as to accommodate more than one strand and being sufilciently small so that the knotted portion of at least two strands will engage the edges of the opening and prevent longitudinal movement of the knotted strands through the opening.

OSCAR M. WOLFF. 

